The Housebound Spirit is an illustrative title: a severe case of aroraphobia led to this 15 track opus, which comprises almost exclusively of samples gleaned from within the homes of its producer, John Burton, over the past two years. So it's like Herbert's "Around The House" album, then? No. It's always possible to pinpoint Herbert's grooves and time signatures, no matter how wonky they are, but the same certainly cannot be said of Leafcutter John - and his enthusiastic experimentation frequently leaves his contemporaries looking conservative in comparison. That's not always a good thing: there are tracks here that make the sewing up of one's ears seem not so drastic a measure. Luckily though, gems like "Khom?s" - "Windowlicker" style masterclass in sonic manipulation - provide calm amidst the storm ***